Ligentia: A Logistic Success Story

Putting knowledgeable people and leading systems in the right location — from any location.

About Ligentia

Ligentia is a leading global freight and supply chain management provider, dedicated to delivering specialist supply chain solutions within retail, manufacturing, defense and mining. Focused on assisting customers with implementing supply chain performance improvement initiatives that drive down costs and improve customer satisfaction, Ligentia leads in their field by ensuring quality, service, market access and cost efficiency that gives their customers a true competitive advantage globally. Throughout 2017–18, Ligentia and VideoCentric have worked in partnership to implement a video conferencing solution aimed at improving communications across their global workforce. VideoCentric spoke with Noel Kenningham, Director of Group IT, to discuss the project so far

“Twenty years in IT, and I have to say this is definitely one of
the best and most simple rollouts I’ve ever been involved in.”
- Noel Kenningham, Director of Group IT

Challenge and Solution

As a global organization with 22 office locations worldwide, Ligentia was looking for a solution that would:

Help reduce national and global travel

Provide high quality video between meeting rooms

Enable remote workers and laptop users to be involved in conversations

Report usage and statistics easily for ROI calculations

Demonstrate and meet their own internal values of ensuring quality relationships, improving teamwork and processes and driving down costs throughout the supply chain

After thorough research, trials and a pilot scheme, VideoCentric and Ligentia selected Lifesize as the communication platform of choice. This would provide a simple-to-use cloud-based collaboration solution for video, audio and data; connected endpoints for meeting rooms in Leeds, London, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Brisbane; and a whole range of user and administration features for desktop and mobile users, reporting and statistics, and improved communications.

Usage and Outcomes

Leading by example, Ligentia is now using their collaborative solution to improve internal relationships and drive down costs, particularly associated with time and travel.

Hong Kong and Shanghai have already changed their monthly in-person meetings — alternating travel with video — and the three UK locations are starting to implement a similar initiative too. The solution in place enables ongoing usage reporting, which means the exact number of conferences had, and the savings made, can be reported on a monthly basis.

“I now have half an hour meeting in the morning twice a week with my colleague in Shanghai, and that relationship is as strong as if he is sat next to me in Leeds,” Kenningham remarked.

Although the time and travel savings of using the solution are huge, the most value being recognized is within the type of meetings and improved conversations.

Noel Kenningham also commented on the benefits of clarity of conversation:

“With colleagues that are nonnative English speakers, we are able to read each other’s body language and know whether they have understood you or if you have understood the far end. You can see reactions and use your own body language too. This just cannot be done over the phone and is invaluable in international business.”

“A totally different and improved relationship can be built, and we can get much more benefit and value from each individual person.”

The IT team is reporting fantastic feedback from the users too, whether in a boardroom or from a laptop, and although there were initial concerns about the network capabilities and broadband, the solution has presented very few challenges now that it is in place.

“The Lifesize solution is extremely easy to use and intuitive, with no need to train users. We love its lack of formality too. ‘Let’s just call and ask him’ — the kind of collaboration that doesn’t need a whole bridge and just brings the right people into the conversation as and when needed is invaluable.”

Future

With the recognized benefits that the new solution has already brought to Ligentia, the team will be looking to grow
their usage further with assistance from VideoCentric and Lifesize and, in the future, would like to see professional video
solutions implemented across many other meeting spaces and huddle rooms worldwide.

“I feel we have had a great deal from VideoCentric, and the solution is one of the best ones I have used. The technical engineer has been the best we have come across in all integrators too. I am certain with this in place, we can now provide an even higher level of service and ensure an even higher competitive advantage for our customers.”